Barakzai vows to continue hunger strike

KABUL (PAN): Unseated Wolesi Jirga member, Samin Barkazai, who has been on hunger strike for last nine days on Monday vowed to continue her strike, saying the president and high-ranking government officials would be responsible for her death.

Barakzai was among nine sitting MPs expelled from parliament for alleged voter fraud by the election commission, which declared successful as many candidates previously certified as having lost the parliamentary polls.

Hailing from western Herat province, the female lawmaker, who was unseated by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) in August, continued to deny food for the ninth consecutive day on Monday.

She read out her will to protesters in front of the Presidency. According to her will, President Karzai, First Vice President Muhammad Qasim Fahim, Independent Election Commission (IEC) head Fazal Ahmad Manawi and Wolesi Jirga Speaker Abdur Rauf Ibrahimi would be responsible, if she died.

She asked the Law Supporting Coalition to bury her at site where the protest tent had been set up in case of her death. She said she had no desire to die, but giving her life for justice was more important.

Dr. Obaidullah Aman of Istiqlal hospital, who has been looking after her, feared Barakzai's health was increasingly deteriorating with each passing moment.

"She was feeling well until Sunday night at 10pm, but later she denied her check-up by doctors," he said.

"Even if she stops hunger strike now, she will have to take medicines for a long time and different types of diseases can also attack her," Dr. Aman said.